Gilbert Van Camp

Gilbert Van Camp
On Dec. 3, 1894, Indianapolis businessman Gilbert Van Camp started selling cans of pork and beans door-to-door. Within 10 years, his company was a multi-million-dollar enterprise with six plants around the nation. Shown here is a circa-1900 label from a can. (By Van Camp via Wikimedia Commons)

Phone lines in Indianapolis

Phone lines in Indianapolis
On Dec. 6, 1877, the Indiana District Telephone Company began installing phone lines in Indianapolis. This photo shows telephone operators sometime between 1914 and 1917. The location at which the photo was taken and other details are unknown. (Library of Congress)

Edward Eggleston

Edward Eggleston
On Dec. 10, 1837, Edward Eggleston was born in Vevay. He wrote some of the earliest novels about life in Indiana, including “The Hoosier Schoolmaster,” which was first published in 1871. This paperback issue of the novel from Indiana University Press is a reprint of the original, including the illustrations by Frank Beard. (Bill McCleery/Indiana Office of Technology)

Statehood Day

Statehood Day
On Dec. 11, 1816, President James Madison signed a congressional resolution admitting Indiana to the Union as the 19th state. Madison, one of the authors of the “Federalist Papers,” was the fourth president of the United States. Dec. 11 is now known as “Statehood Day” in Indiana, which in 2016 celebrates its bicentennial. (Painting by John Vanderlyn, 1775–1852, public domain)

Veto of moving territorial capital

Veto of moving territorial capital
On Dec. 16, 1811, territorial Governor William Henry Harrison vetoed a bill that would have moved the territorial capital from Vincennes to Madison. The territorial capital stayed at Vincennes until moving to Corydon, the first state capital. Harrison’s career, meanwhile, culminated with his election as U.S. president on Dec. 2, 1840. He served in that office one month before dying of pneumonia. This postage stamp was issued in 1950 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Indiana’s becoming a territory. (U.S. Postal Service)

Sherman Minton bust

Sherman Minton bust
On Dec. 21, 1956, the bust of Sherman Minton was unveiled at the Indiana Statehouse. Governor George Craig led the ceremony honoring Minton, the only native Hoosier to serve on the U. S. Supreme Court. Before serving on the Supreme Court, Minton served in the U.S. Senate and as a U.S. federal judge, among other roles. (Bill McCleery/Indiana Office of Technology)

DECEMBER GALLERY

Click on an image to see a slideshow and to learn more about Indiana's history.

360° VIDEOS

Learn about Indiana locations in 360° degrees. On a desktop machine? Use your mouse to drag the video around and see the entire location. On a mobile device or already watching 360° videos with your Google Cardboard ™? Just spin your body around to see all angles of the 360° video environment.